A leading group of gynecologists and obstetricians attacked pro-life “misinformation” in a Washington Post op-ed, Wednesday, demanding abortion be available “without restrictions.”
Christopher M. Zahn, the interim chief executive for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), along with Jenni Villavicenci, interim director of advocacy and public affairs at the Society of Family Planning, argued the pro-life movement was being dishonest in their opinion piece entitled, “In the abortion debate, honesty matters.”
The physicians were responding to an op-ed in the paper the week prior by Kellyanne Conway and Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which urged Republicans to take a strong stance on abortion going into the 2024 election.
Zahn and Villavicenci accused the paper of “publishing misleading information about abortion” that “does nothing to advance compassionate, accurate discussions about abortion as an essential part of health care.”
“The misinformation perpetuated by Ms. Conway and Ms. Dannenfelser (and by the crisis pregnancy centers they wrongly praise) is commonly used to strip access to abortion from patients such as ours and prevent clinicians from providing people with evidence-based health care,” the physicians wrote.
The pair demanded abortion be available “without restrictions” or limits, echoing many Democratic lawmakers’ belief abortion should be available to women “without specific limitations or requirements.”
“Abortion is safe. It improves and saves lives, and it must be available without restrictions, without limitations and without barriers — just as any other critical part of health care,” the physicians wrote.
Dannenfelser responded to the piece, calling the ACOG’s op-ed an “extremist position” that doesn’t match voters’ more moderate beliefs on abortion.
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“In an Informed debate, the truth is what matters and now we finally hear the truth from the abortion lobby. So now we take this question of abortion limits to voters and those running for public office. Americans are compassionate people and overwhelmingly reject all-trimester abortions on demand. The more they learn of the extremist positions of organizations in power, the more they reject them,” she said in a press release.
Pro-life OB-GYN Ingrid Skop, director of medical affairs at Charlotte Lozier Institute, also condemned the ACOG response as unreflective of the views of their own members.
“As an obstetrician for the last 30 years, I have advocated and cared for both of my patients—mothers and their unborn children. This brazen proclamation from ACOG, while sad to see, is reflective of a discouraging new reality: In ACOG’s leadership and the broader medical community, there’s no place for dissent on the issue of unlimited abortion for any reason, at any time in pregnancy,” she wrote.
“We are witnessing, in real time, a vocal, political takeover of a scientific community that represents the most honorable and beautiful profession, responsible for safely bringing new life into the world. I wish ACOG would realize that their promotion of elective abortion without limits isn’t reflective of the views of their own members, considering 86-93% of practicing obstetricians will not perform an elective abortion,” Skop added.
When reached for comment, the ACOG referred Fox News Digital to its abortion policy listed on its website.
“ACOG strongly opposes any effort that impedes access to abortion care and interferes in the relationship between a person and their healthcare professional,” their policy states.
The ACOG has long advocated for abortion rights, calling abortion access “essential health care.”
Last March, the ACOG barred a group of pro-life doctors from setting up a booth at their annual conference.
The pro-life doctors at the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), had been permitted to host a booth at the conference for 15 years prior to the incident.
In a statement to The Federalist, ACOG said that the group’s pro-life views were inconsistent with its mission to “the advancement of evidence-based, scientific information.”
After removing references to viability in its most recent abortion statement, the organization called questions about “abortion up until the point of birth” and elective abortion “unscientific and crafted to polarize the conversation about abortion.”
Fox News’ Joe Silverstein contributed to this report.
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